Ishmael Chavez
Personality Incredibly empathetic, idealistic, and pacifist-adjacent so much as being a werewolf warrior of Gaia allows him to be, Ishmael is a kind and generous spirit with an ineffable loyalty towards those who take the time to navigate around his thinly-veiled machismo and investor's introversion to befriend the goofy artist within. History Ishmael's mother died when he was young, and his (secretly) Garou father in his childhood thanks to supernatural reprisal. Then raised by his criminal uncle, Ishmael was forced to learn the ins and outs of various computer and security exploits, becoming a skilled hacker and technologist for the advancement of his uncle's position. Surprising no one, really, the life eventually caught up with his uncle, who was also murdered by rival interests for being sloppy. Ishmael would only learn of his Garou heritage in his escape of an attempt on his own life. It was never easy for Ishmael to accept the duties and responsibilities expected of him as a Garou. His tribe affiliation as a Glass Walker likely saved him the punishment of other, more traditional tribes. But even the Walkers were forced to discipline the rebellious pacifist often enough to label the teen a problem. Unlike many other cubs that embraced the novelty of this new life, and accepted their role, Ishmael staunchly refused. Fighting for Gaia was something he could do; appeasing the spirits was also in his realm of acceptance. However, fighting brutal battles and often sacrificing the innocent for the greater good were not actions he could stomach. There was, however, something to be said for his willfulness and ability to willingly accept and withstand heckling and punishment. It became clear that Gaia's warrior was in there somewhere, it just had to be approached differently. Through the compassion and tolerance of several of Ishmael's elders, the teen finally came to some sense of reconciliation. Though still maintaining a heavy aversion to violence, he leaped into a support role and managed the local Walker's cache of technologies and computer software, often acting as a communications officer and keeping track of tribe movements throughout the area. Eventually one such elder dragged Ishmael along for a good dose of character-building in the training camps of Dies Ultimae. Ishmael's enthusiasm was understandably lackluster, but he trusted said elder, so he went along without much fuss (to everyone's astonishment). Through Dies Ultimae, Ishmael's particular talents for invention and innovation were honed and allowed to blossom in an atmosphere that lacked little in the way of resources. The then-Cliath created fetish after fetish, improved upon already efficient software, and even learned how to craft and fire advanced firearms. But this was an ultimately empty life for a young man who craved a sense of freedom and something more intensely personal. So he left Dies Ultimae to go work on what he considered to be his greatest project--a fetish that could learn along with him and help him understand his place in the universe. Sheet Backgrounds Fetishes ; The Universal Tablet (Level 2, Gnosis 5) : This is a touch pad in the vein of an iPad that Ishmael constructed himself. Due to the technology spirit within, it has the ability to wirelessly interface with any other piece of digital technology as the gift Plug and Play, but requires no Willpower. ; System: The interface ability of this device is always functional. Further, it reduces the difficulty of any relevant computer or technology rolls where this device is used as a tool by -1. ; Epiphany (Level 5, Gnosis 8) : Ishmael's isn't known for being the most remarkable Theurge and spirit shaman; there are others who have trail blazed more visibly and notably. No, the magnitude of Ishmael's renown comes from his crafting talents and his intuition--his ability to see beyond the physical and even the spiritual, to the cosmic connections that bind together these things, and make them whole. This is the Epiphany, the revelation of interconnection, a sight elevated to the essential. Two spirits inhabit this vessel in harmony: A spirit of instruction and learning, and a spirit of sight and prophecy. ; Appearance: To protect his present magnum opus, Ishmael infused the fetish into his own body through a series of tattoos, generally only visible in the Umbra or under certain Lunar circumstances, barring a single exception. The tattoos whorl and shift their form as needed to fit a given situation, but always extend from a simple, unstated image of a crescent moon-like-closed-eye on the crown of Ishmael's head, generally obscured by his hair. ; System: Epiphany can be used to two purposes. First, it can be used to try and commune with its internal spirits to glimpse the future as the gift Prophetic Visions. Second, it can replicate the effects of certain perception-related Level 1 and Level 2 gifts with a successful Gnosis roll or expenditure of a personal Gnosis point. Epiphany can only replicate gifts the spirits within have experienced or learned from other spirits on behalf of their Garou host, but they are much more likely to gain access to gifts otherwise obscured by Tribal lines. The current list is given below. *Level 1 **Airt Perception **Eyes of the Lynx **Hear the Silence **Sense Weaver **Sense Wyld **Sense Wyrm **Sense Chiminage **Weaver's Eyes *Level 2 **Cybersenses ; Chiminage: As such a powerful artifact, the spirits within require Ishmael to perform a pair of daily activities, or the fetish will refuse to operate. First, he must either learn something new, every day, or teach something to someone else. Second, he must perform some activity that opens his mind to new possibilities, such as meditating, traveling somewhere new, a fresh experience, etc. Further, the spirits may require additional chiminage of Ishmael to either satisfy the demands of other spirits willing to pass on their knowledge, or for more ambiguous reasons the spirits aren't required to explain. Specialties Talents *None Skills *'Craft(Murals, Fetishes, Forgery)': Ishmael's fine art abilities are largely experienced and refined through large murals, of which he's usually working on several at a time. He's also a renown fetish-maker, and accomplished forger. Knowledges *'Technology (Security)': Ishmael is specifically adept at creating and rewiring machines to assist him in his forgeries or otherwise to abuse Security technologies. Merits Code of Honor Ishmael automatically resists temptations that conflict with the following unless supernatural persuasion is involved. In this case, he gains either + 3 dice or a - 2 difficulty to resist at the GM's discretion. * I will spare innocents as much as possible. Violence is a tool, not a goal. * The Weaver has fun toys, but she is not a replacement for Gaia. * Cockroaches are really gross, but they should never be harmed, nor killed. * Never betray a friend, but don't be their scapegoat either. * Breaking Litany bad. * Always follow orders unless there is a conflict with the above. Concentration In spite of his issues, Ishmael is quite capable of focusing on any presented task. Any negative modifiers presented from distraction or inauspicious circumstances (such as Nightmares) is limited to - 2. Computer Aptitude Ishmael has a natural affinity for computers and electronic devices. As such, all difficulties to repair, construct, or operate them are reduced by 2. Mechanical Aptitude Ishmael also has a natural affinity for mechanical devices such as guns, engines, and some locks. All difficulties to repair, construct, or operate any kind of mechanical device are reduced by 2. This aptitude does not extend towards driving. Flaws Nightmares Seeing both your father and uncle murdered in front of you at different points in your life generally tends to lead towards psychological problems. Compound this with Ishmael's natural sensitivity to the supernatural, and voila! Crazy nightmares. Severe nightmares can lead to a - 1 die penalty to all actions the following day. Horrific nightmares may be mistaken for reality on occasion. Hunted The same gang/group of people that murdered Ishmael's father and uncle are also after him. He has been attacked by their lackeys multiple times, but has thus far managed to evade them. Hoping that his time in Dies Ultimae has knocked these people off his track, Ishmael has momentarily stopped worrying about them. Phobia: Cockroaches Besides the fact that these insects are disease-carrying and gross, Ishmael subconsciously associates cockroaches with his father (a Glass Walker) and thus a slew of painful memories. When encountered with a cockroach, Ishmael must roll Willpower at standard difficulty (GM discretion). If he gains 3 or more successes, he momentarily conquers his phobia. If he gains fewer than 3, he will refuse to approach. If he fails, he will do his best to Go Away as quickly as possible. Glass Walkers unaware of Ishmael's history tend to view this phobia with serious concern or disgust, given Cockroach is the tribe totem. *'Flaw': Text. Additional Pictures File:Ishmael2.jpg File:Ishmael3.png File:Ishmael4.png File:Ishmael5.png Category:NPCs Category:Shifters